Air conditioner



14, 1935. Q 1: KELLY 2,@01,309

AIR CONDITIONER Filed 001' 28, 1933 2 Sheeis-Sheet 1 BY MTTOIQNEY C. P. KELLY AIR CONDITIONER Filed Oct. 28, 1933 2 Shegts-Sheet 2 g a @8896 g g @u@ g g a g Q INVIiIgOR TORNEY III Iil IIIIIIIII llllllllvllll'flll Patented May 14, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIR CONDITIONER Charles P. Kelly, Newark. N. J.

Application October 28, 1933, Serial 100.095.588

3 Claims. (Cl. 8$-129) Iliis invention relates in general to air conditioning apparatus, and more particularly to such apparatus of the type that includes a reirigerating or cooling unit and wherein the air is cooled and purified and excess moisture is removed therefrom by passage of the air over cold pipes containing a refrigerant. Especially the invention is directed to the provision of a portable apparatus which can easily be installed and moved about in houses and oiiices.

In apparatus of this character the moisture in the air being treated condenses on and drips from the cooling pipes, and considerable dimcuity has been encountered in removing the water of condensation; for example complicated apparatus, sometimes including plumbing installations, have been thought to be necessary and have been generally used. Such apparatus is expensive and practically prohibits the adaptation thereof to portable units.

The prime object of my invention is to provide an air conditioner of the general character described which shall have a novel and improved construction and combination of parts including an unique apparatus for disposing of the water of condensation from the cooling pipes by a simple diifusion and evaporation process, whereby an eflicient, compact, simple and inexpensive portable air conditioner shall be possible.

Another object is to provide in such apparatus a novel and improved combination of a refrigerant gas compressor, condenser, air cooling evaporator, and means for collecting, diffusing and evaporating the water of condensation from the air cooling evaporator, whereby the vapors produced by evaporation of the water of condensation shall assist in condensing the refrigerant gas so that a simple, compact and inexpensive air conditioner shall be obtained.

A further object is to provide novel and improved means for collecting and diffusing said water of condensation by an absorbent body such as a plurality of fibrous strands, or a porous body such as unglazed fired clay, or a fine mesh reticulated or woven wire fabric, and means for circulating heated air over or into contact with the surfaces of or through said collecting and diffusing means to evaporate and carry off the water in vaporous condition, whereby the necessity for plumbing connections, or complicated mechanism for spraying the water or transforming it into minute drops or globules, shall be obviated.

Other objects, advantages and results of the invention will appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings which schematically show a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which corresponding and like parts are designated throughout the several views by the same reference characters,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portable air conditioning unit embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional view through the unit. Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view through v the unit taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 2.

Figures 4 and 5 are transverse vertical sectional views on the lines and 5-5 of Figure 2, and

Figure 6 is a detached perspective view of the liquid cooler and diffuser. g

The unit shown in the drawings comprises a casing A which has an air inlet opening I at the top thereof through which air may be drawn for the purpose of evaporating the water of condensation and cooling the refrigerant condenser, for example from outside a building in which the unit is installed. This inlet leads into a passage 2 which extends along the bottom of the casing and then leads outwardly through an outlet 3 at the 5 top of the casing through which the air may be exhausted for example, into the atmosphere outside the building. Within the upper portion of the casing and preferably between the air inlet I and the air outlet 3 is an air treating and cooling chamber d, the upper end of which is open so that air to be treated may be directed into the room or space in which the unit is installed. At the bottom of the chamber 6 is an inlet pipe 5 for the air to be treated, said inlet leading from a cavity 6 in the bottom of the casing through which air may be drawn for treatment from the room in which the unit is installed. As shown,

a suitable fan or pump 7 may be utilized for forcing the air into the cooling chamber 6 and said fan may be driven by an electric motor 8 that may be conveniently mounted in the passage 2. Another fan or pump 9 may be provided in the passage 2 and driven by the same motor 8 or another motor for causing circulation of the air through the passage from the inlet I out through the outlet 3.

A refrigerating apparatus is mounted in the casing and may comprise any suitable structure. As shown, this apparatus includes a. refrigerant compressor i0 which may be conveniently arranged in the air passage 2 and be driven by reduction gearing II from the electric motor 8. This compressor serves to compress a refrigerant gas in the usual way and forces it into a condenser unit l6 which is shown as comprising a coil disposed in the inlet end of the passage 2 and having one end connected to the compressor and the other end connected by a pipe I5 to another condenser I4 which comprises a bank of coils in the outlet portion of the passage 2 and is connected through an expansion valve I3 to an evaporator and cooling unit I2 which comprises a bank of coils mounted in the chamber 4. The evaporator I2 is in turn connected to the compressor II) in the usual way.

The casing A may be mounted in the room or space containing the air to be treated, in any suitable manner, for example, the casing may be mounted on an open frame B or upon casters so that air may be drawn into the casing by the fan I through the cavity 6 and inlet pipe 5. The refrigerant compressor Ill compresses the refrigerant and forces it through the condensers I6 and I4 and the evaporator and cooling unit I2, and the air to be treated flowing into the cooling chamber 4 passes into contact with the evaporator coils so that the air is cooled and the refrigerant is vaporized. The vaporization of the refrigerant of course cools the air passing in contact with the evaporator coils, and the cooled air passes from the chamber 4 through its open upper end into the room. Excess moisture in the air being treated condenses on the evaporator coils and drips to the bottom of the chamber 4, and of course the proper surface area and temperature will he provided in the evaporating and cooling unit so that the air being treated will be cooled to the proper temperature and will retain the proper quantity of moisture. The refrigerant gas passes from the evaporator I 2 into the compressor I 0. The gas is condensed in the condensers I4 and I6 and this condensation is expedited by the flow of air through the passage 2.

The important feature of my invention is a water collector and difiuser for removing the water of condensation from the chamber 4. This water collector and diffuser may be formed of any suitable water absorbent or diffusing material, for example fibrous strands or sheets, porous substances, such as unbaked earthenware. or fine mesh reticulated wire fabric. As shown on the drawings the collector and diffuser comprises a plurality of fibrous strands in the nature of wicks, one portion I! of each strand being disposed at the bottom of the cooling chamber 4 and another portion I8 of each strand passing through an opening I9 in the bottom of the chamber into the air passage 2. Preferably the portions I8 of the strands are held in spaced relation to each other by means of a reticulated wire frame 29 so that air may circulate between the strands and into contact therewith. As shown, the portions I8 of the strands are disposed between the fan 9 and the condenser I4.

In operation, the portions ll of the strands absorb the liquid or water which drips from the evaporator coils I2 so as to collect and diffuse liquid or water and conduct it by capillary action through the opening I 9 to a point outside the chamber. Air is circulated through the passage 2 into contact with the portions I8 of the strands so that the water in said portions is evaporated by contact therewith of air previously heated by a condenser I6. Accordingly, the water is continuously removed from the chamber 4 by this diffusing and evaporating process. The air containing the water vapors passes into contact with the condenser l4 so as to assist in cooling the rei'rigerant gases in the condenser. and the air being cooled by the evaporation of condensate greatly expedites the condensing of the refrigerant. For heating the air as it enters the passage 2 to a temperature suitable for emcient evaporation of the water from the cooler and diffuser, the condenser I 6 is utilized, this condenser which contains warm refrigerant gases serving to heat the air as it enters the inlet I. In some cases it may be desirable to temper the air being treated as it leaves the evaporator and for this purpose I may arrange a pipe coil 22 in the outlet end of the cooling chamber 4 and connect said pipe coil parallel with the pipe I5 which connects the condensers I4 and I6 so that the warm refrigerant gases passing through the coil 22 will serve to heat the treated air. Preferably a three-way valve 23 is provided for selectively throwing the heater coil 22 into and out of operation.

To prevent the water of condensation on the evaporator coils from dripping into the air inlet 5, I may provide a plurality of trough-shaped deflectors and collectors 24 above the upper end of the inlet pipe as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 4. Obviously, any other suitable means may be utilized for the purpose.

Also it is desirable that the casing have heat insulated walls 240 to protect the evaporator and condenser from being afiected by the air surrounding the casing, so that it shall be possible to accurately control the treatment of the air by the conditioning unit.

It will be observed that my water collector and diffuser is extremely simple and inexpensive in construction and serves to efliciently dispose of the water of condensation without plumbing connections or complicated apparatus. The collector and diffuser constitutes an element of the unit which is contained within the unit itself.

The invention also provides an eflicient combination of a refrigerating apparatus including a compressor, evaporator and condenser, and a collector and difiuser for the water of condensation wherein the water of condensation facilitates the condensing of the refrigerant vapors in the condenser.

The invention therefore makes it possible to provide a small compact and easily portable air conditioning unit which can be economically and conveniently installed in omces and dwelling houses.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the air inlet may be connected to any suitable source of air supply while the outlet 3 may be directed to any suitable place of exhaust. As shown, the air inlet I and the outlet 3 are connected by pipes 25 to a plate 26 which may be disposed in a window frame between the lower rail of the lower sash and the sill, so that air will be drawn into the inlet I from the atmosphere and then exhausted again into the atmosphere. It will further be understood that the invention may be embodied in many different details of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, and therefore I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself in the construction and use of the invention except as required by the following claims when construed in the light of the prior art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an air conditioner a casing, a refrigerating unit including a refrigerant compressor, a refrigerant evaporator for cooling air and a condenser for refrigerant vapors, means for circulating the air to be treated into contact with said evaporator, a water collector and difiuser for water of condensation from said evaporator comprising fibrous absorbent material having a portion inside said chamber and integral portions leading out of said chamber, means for circulating air from another source into contact with the last-mentioned portions of said diifuser and collector to evaporate the water and thereafter into contact with said condenser for cooling the refrigerant gas.

2. In an air conditioner, a refrigerating unit including an evaporator and two connected condenser sections, means for circulating air to be treated into contact with said evaporator to cool the air, a water collector and difiuser for collecting and difiusing water of condensation from said evaporator, and means for circulating air into contact with one of said condenser sections to heat the air, thence into contact with said collector and diffuser to evaporate the water and thereby cool the air and then circulating the cooled air over the other condenser section to cool the refrigerant gas.

3. In an air conditioner, a casing having an air inlet, a refrigerant compressor, a refrigerant evaporator for cooling air to be treated, and a refrigerant condenser disposed in said air inlet to heat the air passing therethrough and to condense the refrigerant gas, means for circulating the air to be treated into contact with said evaporator to cool the air, a water collector and diffuser for collecting and diifusing the water of condensation from said evaporator, means for circulating the heated air from said air inlet into contact with said collector and diffuser to evaporate the water and thereby cool the heated air, and a second refrigerant condenser connected in series with the first condenser and arranged in the path of flow of the cooled air from said collector and diiiuser.

CHARLES P. KELLY. 

